Picture to StoryMake a book

Personalised book about visiting family abroad: your child Visits Family Far Away

Your child sets off on a long journey across the sea to visit family who live far away, carrying a drawing and plenty of questions. At the other end, familiar faces, family stories and a shared table make the distance feel smaller.

  • Ages 2-7
  • Under the Sea
  • Storybook watercolour
Make this book with their photo

See the cover free before you pay.

Cover of “Zara and the Whale Song”, a personalised picture book starring Zara
An example book in the bold cartoon style

What happens in your child Visits Family Far Away

  1. Your child packs a small bag and a special drawing.
  2. The journey begins beside the wide blue sea.
  3. A postcard-carrying gull helps your child spot landmarks on the way.
  4. Family members wait with waves, hugs and a favourite snack.
  5. Your child adds the day’s memories to a postcard for the journey home.

How the first page could read

“Today is the day,” says Mum, tucking your child’s small bag beside the door. “We are travelling a long way to see your family.” your child checks the drawing tucked inside: a house, a waving grandparent, and a table set for everyone. Beyond the window, the morning is bright and ready.

Your child’s name, look and little details replace these words, and the whole story is written for their age.

Why this story works

This is a gentle way to put a child at the centre of a visit to relatives who live in another country. Rather than making the journey the main event, the story gives space to the small, recognisable parts of a family visit: packing a drawing, looking out for landmarks, being welcomed at the door, sharing food and hearing stories about the family. It can be made with details parents know will matter to your child, alongside their name, age and chosen art style. For ages 2 to 7, the warm, clear storyline offers a useful lead-in before travelling and a lovely prompt for talking about who will be there.

Reading it together

  • Read it together while packing, and point out one real item that your child can take on the journey.
  • Pause at the family welcome and name the relatives your child is going to see.
  • After the visit, use the final postcard moment to talk about a favourite memory from the trip.

Suggested art style: Storybook watercolour

Soft watercolour sea views and family-home scenes give the long journey a calm, welcoming feel. A sidekick idea: Pippa, a postcard-carrying gull. You can pick any of the four styles and change the details in the form.

Make your child Visits Family Far Away

Add one photo and answer a few questions. This story is picked for you, and you’ll see the cover before you decide.

Start with a photo

What’s in the book

A hardcover and a paperback copy of the same personalised picture book, seen from aboveHardcoverPaperback
Both editions are 8.5" × 8.5" with the same 32 pages. The hardcover has rigid boards; the paperback has a soft cover.
pages
32pages
full-page pictures of your child
15full-page pictures of your child
square book (21.6 × 21.6 cm)
8.5" × 8.5"square book (21.6 × 21.6 cm)
years, words matched to their age
2–8years, words matched to their age
  • Front cover with their name in the title
  • Title page with their portrait and your dedication
  • 15 spreads: a picture on one page, the story on the other
  • “The End” page made especially for them
  • Printed: premium full-colour paper, paperback or hardcover
  • Digital: PDF and online flip-book reader

Questions

How is your child included in this personalised book about visiting family abroad?

Picture to Story creates a 32-page personalised picture book with 15 illustrated story spreads, starring your child and drawn from one photo of them. You answer a few questions about their name, age, art style, adventure and little details, then see the cover free before paying.

Is this book suitable for a young child visiting relatives in another country?

Yes. It is designed for ages 2 to 7, with a simple story about travelling a long way, arriving to a warm family welcome and spending time together. The words per page are adjusted for the child’s age, so the story can suit both younger listeners and early readers.

Can I see the book before I pay?

Yes. Your child’s cover and the first page of the story are made while you answer the questions, usually in under a minute, and you see them before checkout. You only pay if you love it.

How long does it take?

The digital book is usually ready about 10 minutes after you order. Printed books take 3 to 5 working days to print, then 3 to 7 days to post in the UK and US.

More first holiday and travel book ideas

Ages 1-4Your child's Seaside SuitcaseYour child packs a little suitcase with beach-day favourites, then travels towards the coast with the sea getting closer and closer. At a new place to stay, your child finds a cosy spot for bedtime and wakes ready for a sandy day ahead.Under the Sea · Storybook watercolourAges 2-5Your child's First FlightYour child packs a small bag, travels through the airport and finds a seat on the aeroplane with a tiny paper gull for company. As the plane rises, your child looks down at the patchwork land and clouds below.Under the Sea · Storybook watercolourAges 2-6Your child and the Ferry CrossingOn the day of the crossing, your child boards a big ferry, follows the wake from the deck and meets a chatty gull who knows the shoreline ahead. As the harbour grows small and a new coast appears, your child discovers that the journey itself is part of the holiday.Under the Sea · Storybook watercolourAges 2-6Your child's Big Train HolidayYour child heads off on a train holiday, from the bustle of the station to a prized window seat in a bright carriage. As the train rolls onwards, your child watches towns, fields and the sparkling coast pass by before arriving ready for holiday exploring.Under the Sea · Storybook watercolourAges 3-7Your child Camps Under CanvasOn your child's first camping trip, a tent, torch and sleeping bag turn the leafy campsite into a place to explore before supper. When bedtime arrives, your child discovers that the soft night sounds and a moth at the tent door make sleeping under canvas feel cosy.Jungle Safari · Storybook watercolourAges 1-4Your child Sleeps Somewhere NewWhen your child stays away from home for the first time, a little suitcase holds all the important bedtime things: pyjamas, a favourite book, soft socks and Bunny. In a quiet ocean-side room, your child finds that familiar routines can come along too.Under the Sea · Storybook watercolour

All first holiday and travel ideas →